Green Trails of Łódź, Poland
Green Trails of Łódź is an ideological program related to the promotion of 'green' solutions in the city. The main idea addresses the major challenges modern cities and societies face. Green Trails are in line with the idea of promoting pro-environmental solutions, favoring the minimisation of the negative impact of humans – especially city dwellers – on nature
The designed solutions aim to draw attention to the role of the environment in the city, promoting the idea of sustainable development, and improving the quality of life of city dwellers through greenery. Green Trails were created to increase social awareness – to make the thoughts related to the environment constantly present in the minds of the city’s inhabitants.
In Łódź there are green spaces with a total area of over 3,000 hectares (including city parks and lawns, street greenery, municipal forests, etc.). There are 42 public parks, 21 of which are cultural monuments. Additionally, the city is planning to create so-called forest parks with an area of over 100 hectares and has launched special programs to increase the share of biologically active spaces by forming new green areas, revitalizing the existing ones, and reducing concrete surfaces. Within the city limits, there is a unique European-scale example of a historic forest complex – Łagiewnicki Forest. A particular challenge that Łódź faces is the introduction of green areas in the historic city centre to counteract climate change and eliminate urban heat islands, increase water retention, and thus improve the quality of life of its inhabitants. The diversity and importance of Łódź green areas have led to the creation of the concept of Green Trails.
Green Trails is a proposal of over 126 km of hiking and cycling routes throughout the city, each of them forming a coherent whole. As part of the Green Trails project there are six thematic paths, fifteen specially prepared walking or bicycle routes, and countless attractions to visit that will allow you to discover the secrets and curiosities related to Łódź, as well as learn about its history – from the great development of the city in the industrial era, through the crisis related to the collapse of industry, to the restoration of the city’s glory – achieved, among others, thanks to the greenery.
To make the city friendly to residents is to invest in green infrastructure, which has an important role in improving the living conditions in the city, and increasing its comfort. The problems associated with the urban heat island not only cause discomfort but can also endanger human health – mainly for children or the elderly, causing diseases and premature deaths due to heat stress or air pollution. The temperature difference between city centres, where there is relatively little greenery, and the suburbs, where there is more of it, can even reach 4 Celsius degrees.
Green alleys and permeable parking lots and sidewalks, unlike concrete, allow air and water to circulate thus reducing drainage problems. Due to the reduced water retention and evaporation, they also have cooling features. Trees produce oxygen, lower the temperature, moisturize, and purify the air. They also have a positive effect on human well-being.
The concept of Green Trails is a project that emphasizes the importance of urban nature and improves the quality of life in the city. In terms of the management of green resources, it is an opportunity to introduce innovative technologies for greenery in urban areas.